Hydroponics involves growing plants in the absence of soil. Typically, the required nutrient and water is delivered to the plant root system in the form of an aqueous nutrient solution that passes over the root ball of the plant. Hydroponic techniques have certain advantages over more conventional agriculture that includes the ability to carefully control optimum feeding, the elimination of weeds, and improved control of pests and diseases.
Typically, a channel or conduit is provided through which the nutrient solution passes. The channel or conduit may comprise a closed pipe or tube, a closed channel or drain and the like. If a pipe or tube is provided, this may have various shapes including circular, oval, rectangular, square, irregular configurations and the like. The pipe or tube may be formed of a semirigid material such as PVC plastic, or may be formed from a very flexible plastic bag-like material. If the material is very flexible, it is generally required to fill the bag with a medium other than soil. These mediums can include sand, gravel, fibre mediums and the like. The medium will provide dimensional stability to the bag, but can interfere with flow-through of nutrient solution and the like. Therefore, it is generally preferable to have a semi rigid conduit typically formed of polyvinyl chloride, such that a growing medium is not required to provide shape and stability to the conduit.
Earlier filed USA patent application 09/196638 has matured into U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,292, granted Jan. 8, 2002, to Desmond J. Boxsell. Such patent describes an elliptical conduit for use with a hydroponic apparatus. The elliptical conduit provides an ideal cross-section for root growth that was similar to normal root growth in soil. It was found that the elliptical conduit provides a faster and better growth of plants.
Some plants are best grown in pots or planter bags as opposed to in a hydroponic system. For instance, the plant might be too large to grow properly in a hydroponic system. Alternatively, the plant may not be suited for growing in a medium devoid of soil. A disadvantage of growing and maintaining plants in pots or planter bags is in dealing with the used water that drains from the pot or bag. In some countries, this water can contaminate aquifers, creeks, streams and rivers. In other countries, water is precious and should not be merely drained away. Many countries have introduced legislation to penalise growers who contaminate ground water with run-off.
A hydroponic system efficiently reuses and recycles water. Therefore, there would be an advantage if part of a hydroponic system could be used for plants grown in pots or planter bags.